To achieve an increased data throughput and link reliability, data communicated between a node and a user equipment (UE) in a communications network can be spread over multiple antennas of an antenna array. The antenna array can be used to achieve an array gain that improves a spectral efficiency and a diversity gain that increases the link reliability of the communications network. In a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or a multiple-input single-output (MISO) system, transmitters and/or receivers include multiple antennas to communicate data. A MIMO system can be used to increase data throughput and link reliability of a network without increasing bandwidth frequencies or increasing transmit power of the network.
Massive MIMOs can deploy a large number of elements in antenna arrays. In a single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) scheme, all MIMO streams from a node in the communications network are assigned to a single UE at a time. A multiple-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) supports data transmissions to a plurality of UEs on the same time-frequency resource of one node. However, overhead of the MU-MIMO system can reduce the overall gain of the MU-MIMO transmitting data to a plurality of UEs on the same frequency.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.